Method and apparatus for dispensing gas material



April 3, 1934.

H. D. EDWARDS 1,953,533 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING GAS MATERIAFiled May 20. 1932 INVENTOR c/ /a r/w Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITEDSTATES PATENT ormcr.

ASMA

Barry D. memos, Larohmont, N. Y., assignor to The Linde Air ProductsCompany, New York,

Application May 20, 1932, Serial No. 612,502

8 Claims. (01. 62-1) This invention relates to a method and apparatusfor dispensing gas material, particularly gas material which is storedin the liquefiedstate. at temperatures below 273 Kelvin, and has for itsobject generally to provide a method and means for avoiding thecustomary practice 01' providing two main containers at the place ofdischarge and still retain means for a continuous supply of gas materialto the consuming apparatus.

More specifically, the invention has for its object the provision of amain container for liquefied gas with a cooperating auxiliary containerand a method of operating the same whereby all the functions of two maincontainers are performed but at a material saving in both cost andequipment. T

A further object is so to arrange an auxiliary container in conjunctionwith amain container that it serves as a. means for heating the gasmaterial and for the evaporation oi. a desired portion of liquefied gas.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the'several steps and the relationof one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and theapparatus embodying features of construction, combinations of elementsand arrangements of parts which are adapted to effect such steps, all asexemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference shouldbe had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

The figure is a vertical sectional view of a main container forliquefied gases having a preferred form of an auxiliary container,constructed for the practice of the method of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, a main container for liquefied gas isshown generally by A, which with a stop valve 21.

insulating means 13 which may be gas or a solid material. The liquefiedgas is charged into the container through a conduit 14 which is fittedat its outer end with a stop valve 15 and has a portion leading to thelower part of the vessel 10 terminating close to the bottom thereof.Branching from the conduit 14 after it emerges from the inner vessel isa withdrawal conduit '16 that passes through the outer envelope 12 intoheat exchanging relation with the auxiliary container B. '65

The auxiliary container isconstructed to have an outergenvelope 17, aninner vessel 18 which is preferably of smaller capacity than the vessel10, and heat insulation means 19 which substantially envelops the innervessel 18. The conduit 7 16 is preferably coiled around the inner.vessel 18 within the envelope 17, after which it joins with a commondischarge conduit 20. Near the'junc- 'tion with conduit 20 the conduit16 isprovided From the bottom of inner vessel 18 of the auxiliarycontainer, a discharge conduit 22 having a nected at the bottom ofvessel 10 in the main Q container which passes through the envelopes 12and 17 and communicates with the inner vessel 18 at a convenient point.This conduit may'be covered by insulation. Leading from the upperportion of vessel 10 is a gas phase withdrawal conduit 25 which passesthrough the envelope 12 and joins with'a discharge conduit 26.Similarly, a discharge conduit 2'? leads from the upper portion of theinner vessel 18, out through the envelope 1'1 to join with conduit 26. Asafety valve 28 is preferably provided in communication with conduit 26to relieve any excess pressure that may I occur in the system. Theconduit 26 is also provided with a control valve 29. A suitable heatingelement is associated with the auxiliary container, for example aheating coil having an inlet and an outlet, as shown at 30 and 31,respectively;

To facilitate the removal of the container A after the desired amount ofgas material has 1 2 been discharged therefrom and the replacement ofsame with a similar containerfully charged with liquefied gas, theconduits 16, 24 and 25'are provided with suitable coupling means,indicated at 16, 24' and 25', respectively, and provided with controlvalves 16", 2 4", and 25", respectively, for disconnecting andcontrolling these conduits preferably at points just outside of theenvelope 12. These coupling 'means'also include suitable stop valves,not shown in the interests of clearness.

The method of operation of the apparatus in accordance with theinvention is as follows:

A portable .main container A charged with liquefied gas, for example,liquid oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide is, after conveyance to theplace of consumption, connected to the auxiliary container andtheconsuming apparatus, as

' set forth above. Upon completing the connections, liquefied gas ispermitted to drain from the bottom of the inner vessel 10 of the maincontainer into the auxiliary container.

If the auxiliary container be warm, liquefied gas that enters the innervessel 18 will be vaporized with the result that the pressure in bothcontainers will increase to a value desired for subsequent operation.The vaporization will occur at a rapid rate until the vessel '18 anditsadjacent parts and insulation have been cooled to substantially thetemperature of the liquefied gas. The valve 29 on the gas withdrawalconduit 26 is kept closed until the pressure has risen to the desiredpoint, after which it is opened sufficlently to permit only enough gasto flow to hold the pressure in the containers constant at the desiredvalue.

If the quantity of liquefied gas vaporized in the auxiliary container beinsufficient to raise the pressure the desired amount, additional heatis added to the liquid in the auxiliary container by means of a warm gaswhich enters the heating conduit at 30 and leaves at 31. This heatinggas is preferably a portion of thegas material withdrawn from the maincontainer after it has been heated.

When the pressure in the containers is not above the desired normal, thevalve 21 is opened sumciently to permit the discharge of liquefied gasat the desired rate through conduit 20 to the consuming apparatus, Thepath of flow of the liquefied gas is then up through the part of theconduit is thatfis inside oi the inner vessel ll,

thence out through conduit 16 and through the portion of conduit 16 thatis coiled around the inner vessel 18, and then out tothe conduit 2through valve 21.

.In passing through the coiled part of conduit 16, the liquefied gas.removes heat from the ,in-'-' nor vessel 18 and surrounding insulation,thus keeping them substantially at the liquefied gas temperature. Thepurpose of thus adding reirigeration to the inner vessel is to reducethe rate of heat leak into the inner vessel from exing valve 21 andopening sufilciently the valve 23 in the conduit 22 which providescommunication between the bottom of inner vessel 18 and the withdrawalconduit 20.

The reserve of liquefied gas in the auxiliary container B is preferablysuificient to allow time for the removal of the exhausted container Aandvits replacement by a similar charged container. If the pressure ofthe gas material in the new main container is below the desired normal,a pressure increase may be obtained by evaporation of sufiicientliquefied gas by the introduction of warm gas through the heatingconduit in the auxiliary container.

accuses It will be seen that the provision of the auxiliary container,permits a continuous supply of gas material to the consuming apparatuswithout requiring the simultaneous presence or two or more maincontainers at the place of discharge.

The cost of manufacture of the auxiliary c'ontainer is materially lessthan the cost of manufacture of the main container, which results in asubstantial advantage to the practice oi the method of the invention.

It will also be seen that the auxiliary container serves as a means forvaporizing some of the liquefied gas for the purpose of increasing thepressure of the system. Another advantage of this method is that theheating of the main body of liquefied gas in the main container,formerly accomplished by means of a heating coil placed in the innervessel oi the main container, is avoided.

Since certainchanges in carrying out the above process and in theconstructions set forth, which embody the invention may be made withoutdeparting from its scope, it is intended that all mattercontained in theabove description. or shown in the accompanying drawing shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and. desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

l. A method for dispensing gas material which comprises providing a bodyof liquefied gas in a main container at a place of consumption,providing an additional body of gas in an auxiliary containerpermanently installed at the place of consumption and arranged to besupplied from the main container, increasing the pressure in bothcontainers by evaporating a portion of the liquefied gas in saidauxiliary container, supplying the demand for gas material at true placeof consumption directly from said main body of gas until exhausted, andduring the recharging interim supplying the demand directly from saidauxiliary body of gas.

2. A method-for dispensing gas material which comprises providing amobile main body oi liquefied gas which may be transported to and fromthe place of consumption, providing an additional body of liquefied gasin an auxiliary container permanently installed at the place ofconsumption and arranged to be supplied from said main container,increasing the pressure in both containers by evaporating a portion ofthe liq efied gas in said auxiliary container, supplying he demand forgas materialv directly from said main container until the body of liquidtherein is exhausted, and thereafter supplying the demand for gasmaterial directly from said additional body during the interim until themain body oi liquefied gas is renewed.

3. A method for dispensing gas material which comprises chargingliquefied gas into a main container for liquefied gases, transferring aportion of said liquefied gas into an auxiliary container connected withsaid main container, discharging gas material from both said containerssuch that liquefied gas is first substantially exhausted from said maincontainer, increasing the pressure in both containers to a de-' siredvalue by evaporating a portion of the liquefied gas within saidauxiliary container, refrigerating the contents of said auxiliarycontainer with transfer of heat to eflluent' gas material from said maincontainer, and recharging said main container while continuing dischargeof gas material from said auxiliary container.

4. A method for dispensing gas material which comprises transporting todestination liquefied gas in a portable container for liquefied gases,connectingsaid portable container with an auxiliary container and withapparatus for receiving and consuming gas material, transferring aportion of the liquefied gas from said portable container into saidauxiliary container, discharging gas material from both said containerssuch that liquefied gas is first substantially exhausted from theportable container, increasing the pressure in both containers to thedesired value by evaporating a portion of the liquefied gas within saidauxiliary container, refrigerating the contents of said auxiliarycontainer with transier of heat to eiiluent gas material from saidportable container, and replacing said portable container with anothersimilar portable container charged with gas material while continuingdischarge of gas material from said auxiliary container.

5. In apparatus for dispensing gas material, the combination comprisinga main container for liquefied gas, a separate auxiliary containerlocated at a distance from said main container and having connectionsfor being filled from said main container, and discharge connectionsfrom each container having a common conduit leading to consumingapparatus forsupplying a .demand for gas material; said connectionshaving control means whereby the demand for gas material is suppliedselectively from said main container and from said auxiliary container.

6. In apparatus for dispensing-gas material, the combination comprisinga portable main con tainer for liquefied gas, a separate auxiliarycontainer having detachable connections with said main container wherebythe same is filled from said main container, withdrawal connectionsleading from said auxiliary container to consuming apparatus, anddetachable withdrawal connections detachably connected to said maincontainer communicating with said first-named withdrawal connections andprovided with control means whereby the demand for gas material may besupplied selectively from said main container and from said auxiliarycontainer.

7. In apparatus for dispensing gas material, the combination comprisinga main container for liquefied gas, an auxiliary container having afilling'connection leading from the bottom of said main container, gasand liquid phase withdrawal connections leading from said maincontainer, said liquid phase withdrawal connection having a portionarranged to be in heat exchanging relation with the body of liquid insaid auxiliary container, and branch connections leading from saidauxiliary container to said gas and liquid phase withdrawal connections.

8. In apparatus for dispensing gas material, the combination comprisinga main container for liquefied gas, an auxiliary container having afill- 100 ing connection leading from the bottom of said main container,gas and liquid phase withdrawal connections leading from said maincontainer, said liquid phase withdrawal connections having a portionarranged to be in heat exchanging rela- 105 tion with the body of liquidin said auxiliary container, branch connections leading from saidauxiliary container to said gas and liquid phase withdrawal connections,and a heating element associated with said auxiliary container.

HARRY n. EDWARDS.

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